1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a knee guard and brace having both lateral and medial side members in which at least one of these side members has a pair of thigh and calf support pads which is secured to a user's leg by straps and in which a condyle support pad is mounted on at least one of the side members. More particularly, it relates to such a knee guard and brace in which the condyle support pad can move inwardly while the proximate side member remains fixed in position. The invention has specific application in reducing the chance of injury and the extent of damage to the knee area which might otherwise be sustained by an athlete, especially by a football player such as a quarterback when he is tackled in a passing position, and is effective in achieving such reduction whether impact loads are applied to the front, back, or either side of the athlete's leg.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Knee guards and braces with both lateral and medial side members in which condyle support pads are mounted on both side members are known in the prior art. When a knee joint is pushed or bows inwardly under the influence of non-contact forces such as those due to a trick knee, a medial condyle support pad resists medial movement of the knee joint reducing its chance of collapse. Similarly, a lateral condyle support pad resists lateral movement of a knee joint acted upon by varus-directed forces. For each condyle support pad, its effectiveness in resisting such sideways movement is critically dependent upon the position of the pad. That is to say, such a pad is most effective when the pad lies in passive contact with the knee itself. In spite of this fact, none of the prior art devices provides means for adjusting the position of a condyle support pad independently of the remainder of the knee guard and brace.
The difficulties in positioning a medial condyle support pad in a knee guard and brace of the prior art become apparent when one realizes that the orientation of the condyle support pad relative to the medial-lateral plane, a plane which is disposed perpendicular to the median plane of the human body, is of critical importance. Even though the brace may be custom-fitted, the optimum medial-lateral orientation of the condyle support pad varies in relationship to the firmness of the leg when the brace is strapped to the outside surface of the leg. This optimum orientation also varies as the leg changes size during rehabilitation after injury.
Positioning a lateral condyle support pad, on the other hand, presents greater, even insurmountable difficulties. Once a lateral condyle support pad is positioned in contact with the knee joint to resist any lateral movement thereof, the very proximity of the pad to the knee virtually insures that the impact of a lateral blow upon the knee guard and brace is sustained by the knee joint itself.